Michigan

Campbell's loss a big blow

AP File PhotoThe Lions wanted to build a power running attack and tight end Dan Campbell was a key piece of that because he can be a dominant blocker.

ALLEN PARK -- It's a transaction that didn't draw a lot of attention because it happened late Saturday afternoon, but the loss of tight end Dan Campbell was a devastating blow to the Detroit Lions' offense.

Campbell aggravated an injury to his elbow and was put on the injured reserve list the day before the Lions played the Philadelphia Eagles.

While losing a tight end might not seem like a big deal because the Lions have all of those gifted receivers, Campbell's value is in the running game -- an area where the Lions are struggling to improve.

With Kevin Jones returning, the Lions wanted to build a power running attack and Campbell was a key piece of that because he can be a dominant blocker. He also is the only two-way threat the Lions have at tight end because he can be effective on passing plays downfield.

When the Lions wanted to run the ball with power against the Eagles, they were forced to use guard Blaine Saipaia at tight end. That eliminated the possibility of the tight end slipping through and getting open deep -- as Campbell used to do. Campbell only caught 21 passes last season but his per-catch average of 14.7 yards was far better than that of Tony Gonzalez of the Kansas City Chiefs (12.3) or Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers (13).

That's not saying Campbell was as good a receiver as those two, but it showed what a threat he was. Now that he is gone, opposing defenses have one less weapon to worry about -- in both the running and passing game.

LIONS NOTES
Backus has lingering injury -- Left tackle Jeff Backus got kicked in the ribs by a Minnesota Vikings player last week, but the rib injury he sustained in the pre-game warm-up against the Eagles was totally different. Backus suffered a significant muscle pull that might jeopardize his 100th consecutive NFL start on Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

If it's just a case of pain management, you can bet Backus will be out there, but it's more than that. Backus loses strength in his left arm the longer he plays (which is why he eventually was benched in Philadelphia).

As much as he prides himself on being there every Sunday for his teammates, Backus said he wouldn't take the field against the Bears if he believes he will hurt his team.

The problem, though, isn't just for this week. This is the kind of injury that will likely linger for weeks, if not months, and that means Backus isn't going to be 100 percent for a long time. Sitting him for an extended period isn't the answer, though, because Backus at 80 percent is still better than an inexperienced Jonathan Scott at 100 percent.

Who's No. 3? -- Has Shaun McDonald quietly -- or maybe not so quietly -- become the Lions' third-best receiver?

While Mike Furrey still is as dependable as ever, McDonald has shown he is better at getting yards after the catch because would-be tacklers have a tough time reading his cat-like moves. McDonald also showed some toughness against the Eagles when he caught the ball near the goal line, but knifed between two closing tacklers, absorbing their hits to squeeze through for the touchdown.

McDonald's yards-per-catch is 13.2 yards, almost three yards better than Furrey's 10.3 average.

Lions likely to face more max protection -- Detroit's defensive linemen better learn how to deal with frustration, because they're going to endure a lot of it this season.

Most teams don't like to use max protection -- keeping seven guys in to block four -- because it greatly reduces a quarterback's options downfield. Sure, he will have time to throw, but it's tough getting two or three guys open when there are seven guys dropping into coverage.

What the Eagles did on Sunday was show that a receiver with speed -- that would be Kevin Curtis -- can expose Detroit's secondary even when they're rushing four and dropping seven. That means that upcoming teams -- that would be the Bears -- are going to copy that strategy.

Until the Lions can stop it, so will Washington, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos and, well, you get the idea.